iNever Had a Broken Heart
by seddie4thewin
Summary: Song-Fic: Two people who've been friends for years comfort each other and their relationship troubles. Seddie! (Of course) T only because of a few bad words.


**I usually don't do song fics but I think Jennette's singing voice sort of reminds me of Trisha Yearwood. I was listening to Trisha's music and this song somehow made me think of our favorite couple. And apologies if Carly's attitude offends anyone, I really took creative liberties with making her nasty.**

For at least the third time in less than a month, Carly stormed out of the apartment she shared with Freddie in a huff. The door slammed and he simply stood in the living room, staring at it in shock. He thought he was being a good husband, interested in her day. Of course, she didn't want to talk to begin with because she had been in a lousy mood since she got home, well maybe most of the week if he thought of it. She took his interest as a sign that he was jealous over her sharing her lunch break with one of her co-workers who happened to be a male.

His simple inquiry tripped her trigger into a tirade of how he always had to know where she was every single minute of the day, how he couldn't trust her, even though he was friends with a gal who Carly thought he harbored feelings for. She even went so far as to accuse him of tracking her phone to keep tabs on her. In actuality, he was probably the most trusting and loyal man in Seattle. He had himself convinced that no matter what, Carly could never be unfaithful to their marriage.

Like every time she got on her high horse, Carly turned the entire conversation against him and no matter what he said, it was wrong. She argued with him and fought about it and fought hard. While always a little hot headed, the storming out in a huff routine was new for her. Usually, she'd just sit around, act passive aggressive and pout like a spoiled kid who didn't get their own way but of late she took off, sometimes gone for hours on end, many hours on end. He couldn't figure out where she went and she wouldn't tell him even when asked.

 _Don't be afraid to hold me tight  
_ _You know I won't break in two  
_ _What we're doing here tonight  
_ _Sure beats what we're going through_

As he did when he needed a sympathetic ear, Freddie turned to Sam. It seemed he had been needing her particular brand of therapy more and more often lately. A quick reply to his text told him all he needed to know - she was home. Rather than mope around his empty apartment waiting for his spoiled brat of a wife to return, he would go to Sam's, share a beer or two and let her talk him out of doing something drastic.

Like him, his blonde friend had been plagued by recent relationship troubles. The main difference was, as soon as the going got tough, Sam got going. She moved out of her boyfriend's apartment after their first big fight. Yes, he tried to get physical and yes, she dislocated his wrist and keyed his car and yes, she threatened to remove his manhood with a dull knife if he ever laid a hand on her again. Ironically, their relationship trouble began because of his jealousy over her friendship with Freddie. Brad simply couldn't understand or accept how the two could be friends, but she never told Freddie why that.

And although Brad's unfounded forbidding of her relationship with someone she had known since middle school was without any merit, in truth it was he who was unfaithful to her. She didn't even know it at the time. The old adage of 'those who can't trust can't be trusted' was certainly true for Brad. It was only after their breakup that she got word he went around bragging how she was too stupid to realize he had someone on the side.

Brad and Sam had been together for years, on again and off again while he was at college and working menial jobs until he landed a job as a photographer for a local publishing company. Once he was settled and back in town, he and Sam got an apartment together and lived in peaceful bliss for over a year before the green eyed monster of jealousy took the better of him. That was just over a month ago.

 _We've both loved and lost before  
_ _We know the sadness it can bring  
_ _Tonight let's close the door  
_ _And hold onto the nearest thing_

For more than the first two years of their three year marriage Carly and Freddie were happy. It was after Carly got the job at the magazine that she began to change. Freddie figured it was because of the stress of the new job and tried his best to be understanding about it all and give her space to blow off steam. He treated her with kid gloves and walked on eggshells around her but no matter what he did or said, she took it as an offense and was snippy and bitchy with him more than she wasn't.

From the time they reunited shortly after college, the two were into each other, inseparable, and for a long time, madly in love. They dated for over a year before they were intimate and almost four before he got up the nerve to propose. It took another two years after that for her to plan the perfect wedding that cost her dad three months' pay and nearly drove all her friends insane. To all outward appearances, they had the perfect marriage. Behind closed doors it was a different story. The sweet, well spoken young woman was replaced by a snarky and cantankerous shrew.

Sure, they fought but they still loved each other or so Freddie had himself convinced, but even their intimate activities lacked a certain spark that was very much needed for a successful relationship. Instead of passionate twenty-somethings, they acted like an old couple that had been together for decades and simply existed under the same roof. Unlike the days of their first dating, there was no hand holding, no pet names and certainly no snuggling after sex, when they did manage to do it, which wasn't very often.

It was days like this when Freddie was glad they never had any children. As much as he pictured the perfect family with a loving wife, three kids, a nice suburban house with a two car garage and a white picket fence, Carly's dream was to live in the big city and it certainly didn't involve reproducing. Her career came first, before Freddie, before family and friends and having children was no where in her top ten on her list of life's priorities.

 _Let's keep hanging on  
So we won't fall apart  
Let's make love tonight  
Like we never had a broken heart_

It was a short drive to Sam's place. She lived in a one-room loft above a taco stand along a back alley way, behind a hardware store. It wasn't much, but it was what she could afford and it was available when she needed a place. And the rent was cheap, after all she was Mojo-Taco's best customer.

The place suited her and the three legged feline she shared it with well. She got the tabby cat the summer Brad graduated from college and left for an internship in Chicago. He was just a little over three the summer he got caught under the wheels of the garbage truck that cost him his one front leg. If it weren't for good luck and using up more than half of his seven lives in that incident, poor Frothy Junior would have been sharpening his claws on the arm of a sofa in kitty heaven.

The rain was storming down when he stepped out of the car and went up the steep steps to Sam's room. Fortunately for him, the precipitation had disguised the tears he shed on the way over.

"Freddie." Sam opened the door for him and put her arms around his body as soon as it was closed. "What's going on? I'm guessing you guys had another fight?" Like she had to ask, by the look on his face.

The blonde knew her former best friend was beyond nasty with her husband. She was a bitch with Sam as well. The two had their parting of the ways during wedding plans. Sam was a bit too vocal in her opinion of Carly's extravagant taste one to many times and the brunette unloaded on her with both barrels right there in the dress shop, during her final fitting, in front of Wendy, Spencer's wife and Freddie's mother. The part that hurt the most was when she accused Sam of sabotaging her wedding so she could have Freddie to herself.

Sam had never told Freddie the real reason she wasn't at his wedding. She cooked up a half-baked excuse of having to bail her mom out of jail in another state and skipped out. Freddie was disappointed, Carly was cold about it all and Sam was devastated that she couldn't be there. It became quite clear over the last three plus years that something came between the two women but neither would tell him why.

Freddie assumed Carly was wazzed off about Sam missing the wedding and never questioned it any further. When he did say anything, the one time right after it happened, Carly would simply say they were better off without her. He never bothered to ask Sam, figuring she wouldn't give him a direct answer anyway.

"It'll be OK." She told him as they left go of one another and she motioned toward the small, two-person couch, along the wall next to her refrigerator. The apartment more resembled a hotel room with a kitchen area, not more than 350 square feet and very sparsely furnished. Piles of boxes with the things she had never bothered to unpack after moving in were piled in the corners.

"I don't know why it has to be this way, Sam." He croaked, sitting down. "Why is my marriage falling apart?"

 _Don't be afraid to close your eyes  
Pretend I'm someone that you love  
And I won't have to tell you lies  
'Cause it's not you I'm thinking of_

Sam was sympathetic to his needs. He was her best friend so she couldn't just tell him how stupid she thought he was for being with the nasty tempered brunette to begin with. She clicked off the TV, walked to the ice box, removed two bottles of beer and took a few steps to the couch to sit beside him due to the lack of other furniture. The small, second hand sofa-bed was all she could afford when she got the place.

"So what happened this time, Freddie?" She asked, popping the top off her bottle.

"We were just about done with dinner. I spent the whole time talking about what I had been doing at work, and I figured she was bored hearing it, so I asked her about her day. She talked about how the editor upped her deadline for an article she's doing and then said she had lunch with, um, with, well, with Brad." He was hesitant to even mention the name in Sam's presence for fear of making her upset.

Sam raised an eyebrow. She knew Carly and Brad worked in the same building but didn't think they were even friends. Wheels started to turn under her blonde hair.

"So I asked where they went." He shrugged. "Innocent enough, right. I mean, if we meet up for lunch and go somewhere, I tell her. Not that she gives a chiz."

"So that set her off?" She began putting two and two together. Maybe Brad was cheating on her with Carly. She never did figure out who the girl was. But she couldn't accuse Carly of anything without proof. She didn't even know if she wanted to be sure. Sam knew it would wreck Freddie if it was true and he was hurting enough. It would explain Carly's defensive attitude, though.

"Oh, she went off big time, let me tell you. Accused me of not being able to handle the fact that she was friends with a guy when she had to put up with us, you know, being friends and all. That's the way she said it - put up with."

"Freddie, I don't know how much she told you about why we're not friends any more but . . . " It was long enough and he needed the truth. Sam was prepared to spill the reason she and Carly parted ways but he cut her off.

"Next thing I knew, she was putting on her coat, calling me a jealous bastard and marching out. I don't know where she goes when she bolts out like this. Spencer says he hasn't even seen her in weeks. Gibby, Wendy, I've asked all of them and no one knows where is. It worries me sick. She doesn't smell of alcohol when she comes home so she's not in some dive bar or something."

"I wish I could tell you, but she hasn't talked to me in years." Sam simply told him. "Maybe she's hanging out with Brad."

They both sat silent for a minute or two as he processed this information. "You think?"

"You know, she's jealous of us. Of our friendship, I mean." Sam said with a quiet tone. "She has been for years."

It was his turn to look confused. "I suppose you might be right."

Sam sighed. "I wasn't at your wedding because Carly 'uninvited' me, not because I had to go get my mom out of jail for cheating at Bingo in Wyoming. Pam was never even in Wyoming. In fact, she was in Spokane visiting my grandma that weekend. I went along."

"Are you serious. Why?"

"Well, Granny's getting old, oh you mean the other part. Yeah, I'm serious as a heart attack. She accused me of trying to sabotage her big day and poo-pooing all the wedding plans because I was jealous she was marrying you and having a wedding I'd never be able to afford. She told me she didn't want me around you any more because she didn't trust me with you. She said she never even wanted to see my face again. Sixteen years of friendship down the tubes like that." Sam snapped her fingers.

"Well obviously her plan to keep us apart didn't work." He couldn't believe what her was hearing and turned toward the blonde. "Sam, you're my closest friend, I couldn't just walk away from you like that."

"I told her she was nuttier than your mom and basically suggested she go suck a truck, and I'd hang out with you if I wanted to. So she kicked me out right there at the dress shop. Cussed me out in front of the whole wedding party, the dress shop people and everybody. Even your mom felt sorry for me, she gave me a ride home but I made her promise to not tell you about any of it."

His body moved toward hers, she raised an arm and invited him to snuggle into her side, putting his arms around her rib cage. "I'm sorry, Sam. It's my fault you lost your best friend."

"It is NOT your fault, dude. She's the bitch, here. And I didn't tell you just now for pity. I thought you deserved to know why Carly doesn't speak to me any more. And how much of a c-word she can be."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out on my own. But why didn't you say something before? Like when it happened."

"Because I didn't want her to be right. I knew if I told you, you'd go off the deep end, maybe even call off the wedding, an - an, and I actually did, er I mean, I do have feeling for you, Freddie. I didn't want to ruin your happily ever after even though I was miserable knowing I was losing the chance to be with you forever."

He pulled his head away from her chest and looked into her eyes. Poor Sam couldn't tell how he was reacting. She couldn't bear to lose him, too and regretted saying what she did. Damn her girly feelings.

"See, this is what I was afraid of. Now you're going to be all weird and chiz." She cracked. "Just forget I said anything about . . . "

She was cut off by his lips against hers. For a few seconds, she didn't know how to react but soon her animal instinct took over and she began to kiss back, deeper and deeper by the second.

* * *

Carly came home shortly after midnight and discovered Freddie was gone and went into a panic. She called her brother, his mom, Gibby and even his office to see if she could locate him. Gibby offered to drive around and search for him, but he didn't know enough to check near Sam's place.

For the first time in his marriage, Freddie Benson didn't sleep at home that night. He didn't sleep very much, either.

"It isn't much, but if you want to stay . . . " Sam offered quietly.

"It's perfect as long as you're here." He smiled and kissed her bare shoulder, lying behind her with an arm wrapped around her tiny frame.

"God, but you're cheesy." She smirked and rolled over to face him. "What do you say Benson, round three?"

 _Tonight we'll just pretend  
We've been in love right from the start  
Let's make love again  
Like we never had a broken heart_

The next morning, Freddie called his office to say he'd be a little late. He figured if he waited until Carly left for work, he could slip into their apartment and get a fresh change of clothes for the day without stirring up another fight. He'd have to deal with the fallout sooner or later, but at least he could get through the last day of his work week without excessive drama. Well, except her calling and texting every fifteen minutes. And apparently recruiting everyone they knew to do the same. He finally had to simply turn off his phone.

After work, he met up with Sam at the taco stand and accompanied her back to her place.

"So, um, not that I mind or anything, but are you going to ever go home again, Fredwart?" Sam smirked at they ate their take out tacos at her small kitchen table.

"Tomorrow, Sam. I'll head over tomorrow. I just want another night of peace." He said quietly. "With someone I actually want to be with."

"You realize she's only getting more pissed, right? You can't ignore her calls and stuff forever."

"Yeah. She's even got my mom, Spencer and Gibby looking for me. They've both been calling and sent me texts. I replied and told them I'm OK. I can dodge Spencer and Gibby but not my mom."

"I can't believe Gibby hasn't been here looking for you. He knows where I live. He helped me move in the day I kicked Brad's ass and got this place."

"I told him I was out of town." He shrugged. "He doesn't need to know where I am."

"You bad boy, lying to your friends and cheating on your wife." She joked. But seriously, maybe you should at least tell Carls you're alive. She's liable to file a missing person report."

"I guess you're right."

He turned on the phone, sent a quick message to his spouse to let her know he was alright and then turned off his phone before she could call or text back. At least she didn't know how to track the thing.

The following morning, Sam was trying to be supportive over breakfast. She knew he was dreading what he had to do.

"Do you want me to go along?" She asked, hoping he said no. Mopping the floor with her former BFF wasn't her idea of a fun Saturday morning.

"It's alright, but I have a feeling I'll be coming back. I know she'll kick me out when I tell her where I've been. But I don't really want to live there any more so I don't care."

"You can keep crashing with me, but if we're going to shack up, sooner or later we're going to have to get a bigger bed. That pull out thing was only meant for one and not that I mind sleeping with you wrapped all around me, but it's not exactly comfortable not being able to spread out. And my cat hates sleeping on the floor. This one doesn't detest the sight of you yet, we don't want to push our luck."

"Um, yeah. I was sort of thinking maybe we could just look for a bigger place together. I mean, there's not really room for any kind of actual bed in here and if she does kick me out totally, well, I've got a lot of stuff. I suppose I could rent one of those storage places like Spencer has."

* * *

Three hours later, Freddie returned to his apartment to discover his wife was long gone. A note taped to the front of the refrigerator told him all he needed to know. She was leaving him for Brad and had taken all her things out of the apartment. The name and phone number of her divorce lawyer was on the bottom of the note.

He quickly sent Sam a text, telling her to come over right away.

She worried that something bad had happened but she was met at the door by him picking her up and kissing her passionately.

"Hey, you're not bleeding!" She said, surprised.

"She's gone, Sam. She took her stuff and left. Like, totally gone."

"Let me guess. She's moving in with Brad?" Somehow she knew and it didn't bother her as bad as she thought it would. The two a-holes deserved each other.

"But on the upside, we're got an apartment all to ourselves." He kissed her again. "Welcome home, Sam. You will move in with me, right?"

"So when do you want to help me move my chiz?" She smirked. "And this building does allow cats, right?"

"Later, baby. I've got something much more important to do first." He picked her up into his arms and carried her toward the bedroom. "And second, and maybe even third."

 _Oh, let's make love again  
Like we never had a broken heart_

 _Don't be afraid to close your eyes_

Sorry again for making Carly the bad guy. I really do like her character, I just felt like making her evil in this one.


End file.
